Outputting to a dynamic table

ajna

I am having a problem with placing output into a dynamically created table. Let's say I have a limit of 20 results pulled from the database on a search, and I want the results found displayed a table 4 rows deep, each with 5 columns. What happens if I only have 17 or even just 2 records found? How do I "fill" the table with the proper number of columns so the page displays correctly? I have read some solutions to similar problems here, but none seem to address what to do if you don't have enough data to fill out an entire row's worth of columns with output.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

here is my current code:

<?
$sql= "SELECT info FROM table LIMIT $StartRow, 20";
$result = @($sql,$connection) or die ("Couldn't select database.");
if (mysql_num_rows($result) > 0) {
$i = 0;
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result, 1)) {
$info = $row["info"];
if ($i == 0) {
print "<tr>";
}
$i++;
if ($i == 6) {
print "</tr>";
$i = 0;
}
print "<td>$info</td>";
} // CLOSE WHILE
?>
</table>

jkohns

if you are going to always limit the results to 20 like this, then simply build a loop for 20 results, like so:

<? 
$sql= "SELECT info FROM table LIMIT $StartRow, 20"; 
$result = @mysql_query($sql,$connection) or die ("Couldn't select database."); 
if (mysql_num_rows($result) > 0) { 
$i = 0; 
for($j=0;$j<=19;$j++){
$info = @mysql_result($result, $j); 
if ($i == 0) { 
print "<tr>"; 
} 
$i++; 
if ($i == 5) { 
print "</tr>"; 
$i = 0; 
} 
print "<td>$info</td>"; 
} // CLOSE FOR
?> 
</table>

when the result set form the database runs out, the mysql_result functino will return FALSE, but the @ supresses any error message, and $info equates to NULL, giving you a blank table cell

Mordecai

Put this at the end of the table:

for ($i=0;$i<(20-mysql_num_rows($result));$i++) {
  echo("<td>&nbsp;</td>\n");
}

This will create a few empty cells when there are less than 20, and the rest of your code should make it work correctly. Put this before the last </tr>.

jkohns

Put this at the end of the table: PHP: for($i=0;$i<(20-mysql_num_rows($result));$i++){ __echo("<td> </td>\n"); } This will create a few empty cells when there are less than 20, and the rest of your code should make it work correctly. Put this before the last </tr>.

That only works if your result set fills entire rows, but in a 4X5 table, if you have 17 results, there are only going to be 3 empty cells...something not fixed in this solution

bastien

consider placing the results into an array before showing the table and then loop through the array with the table

<?  

$sql= "SELECT info FROM table LIMIT $StartRow, 20";  

$result = @mysql_query($sql,$connection) or die ("Couldn't select database.");  

if (mysql_num_rows($result) > 0) { 

  //load the array with the results of the query
  do while ($rows=mysql_fetch_array($result)){

      $the_results[]=$rows['info'];

  }

  //check the arrays length and see if all slots are filled
  //if not then fill the array element with html code for a blank 
  //space  

  if  (count($the_results)<20){
       $y=count  ($the_results);

       for ($z=($y-1); $z<20;$ z++){

           $the_results[$z]="&nbsp;";

       }

  }


   //show the table

   echo "<table>";

   for ($q=1;$q<6;$q++){

         echo "<tr>";       

         for ($i=1;$i<5;$i++){

               echo "<td>$the_results[$q*$i]</td>";

         }

         echo <"/tr>";

   }

   echo "</table>";

?>

hth

ajna

Thank you for your replys...unfortunately, they didn't quite solve my problem, but I found a way around it...not necessarily the most elegant coding but it does the trick. I wanted a true "blank" table cell, not one where my variables or display would equal NULL.

Here it is -- hope it helps anyone else in a similar jam. Any thoughts or ways to make it more streamlined are, as always appreciated. I will be replacing all the jumps in and out of PHP with PRINT statements.

<table border="0" align="center" width=500>
<?
$sql= "SELECT info FROM cars LIMIT $StartRow, 20";

$result = @($sql,$connection) or die ("Couldn't select database. $sql");
if (!$result) {
$message = "Nothing in stock.";
$errorset = "1";
} else {
if (mysql_num_rows($result) > 0) {
$i = 0;
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result, 1)) {
$info = $row["info"];

if ($i == 0) {
?>
<tr><td width=100 height=100 align="center" align="center">
<? echo $info ?></td>
<?
}
if ($i != 4 && $i != 0) {
?>
td width=100 height=100 align="center" valign="center"><? echo $info ?></td>
<?
}
if ($i == 4) {
?>
td width=100 height=100 align="center" valign="center"><? echo $info ?></td></tr>
<?
}
if ($i == 4) {
$i=0;
} else {
$i++;
}
} //CLOSE WHILE
} // CLOSE IF
} // CLOSE ELSE
// ALL ROWS OF RETREIVED DATA USED..CREATE BLANK CELLS
while ($i <= 4 && $i != 0) { // BEGIN WHILE2

if ($i == 4) {
print "<td width=100 height=100> </td></tr>";
$i++;
}
if ($i <= 4) {
print "<td width=100 height=100> </td>\n";
$i++;
}
} // END WHILE2
if ($errorset == "1") {
print "<tr><td>$message</td></tr>";
print "<tr><td><img src=\"images/spacer.gif\" width=\"500\" height=\"8\"></td></tr>";
} else {
print "<tr><td colspan=5><img src=\"images/spacer.gif\" width=\"500\" height=\"8\"></td></tr>";
}
?>
</table>